Gratitude
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Gratitude, Health
Today I’m grateful for having access to exercise equipment, and being healthy enough to use it.
Movies That Sound as Good as They Look
Posted by Cyn | Filed under Movies, Music, NaBloPoMo
Plinky said, “Name a movie that has a great soundtrack.”
There are so many! If I had access to my full music library right now, we could be here all day, because i do love movie soundtracks. For simplicity’s sake, I decided to leave musicals out of this discussion.
My first pick is Chocolat, a lovely French movie from 2001 starring Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench and Johnny Depp. If you haven’t heard the score you’re missing a treasure. It has been on my list of favorites since seeing the film over a decade ago. It includes pieces by Django Reinhardt, Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael and George Gershwin. With a line-up like that, how could it go wrong?
My second choice is another an old favorite, Practical Magic. Faith Hill’s “This Kiss,”, “Black-eyed Dog” by Nick Drake, and “A Case of You” by Joni Mitchell are just a few of the wonderful cuts from this CD. I can listen to it over and over again and hear something new in the songs each time.
Now it’s your turn — suggest something I haven’t seen that will make me sing or dance!
Tags: Chocolat, Practical Magic
Get Out and Vote!
Posted by Cyn | Filed under NaBloPoMo, politics
Plinky asked, “When was the last time you voted in an election? Will you vote this year?”
I voted in a county referendum regarding a one-cent sales tax a few months ago. I vote in every election, so of course I’ll vote this year. Why wouldn’t I vote? Men and women have died to win me that right, and I would be willing to fight and die for it as well. I’m not so foolish as to waste a chance to have my say in important matters whether at the county or national level.
The presidential election is especially important, because of the GOP’s war on women and the fact that I find Santorum especially insane. Romney seems the best of the Republican evils, but that isn’t saying much. I’d much rather see Obama re-elected than any of the Republicans in office. It’s obvious that most of the opposition to the President is based on racism, pure and simple, which is an ugly, ugly thing (but not surprising to this lifelong southerner).
Tags: Barack Obama, elections, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, voting
Java Jive
Posted by Cyn | Filed under NaBloPoMo
Plinky asked, “Do you need coffee to wake up in the morning?”
I wouldn’t say I need it, because I don’t drink it every day. I do, however, enjoy it, especially if I’m able to sit down and sip a cup in that quiet time before anyone else is up and about.
My preferred coffee at home is Suisse Mocha, and the sugar-free sort is also decaffeinated. 1 Back when I was at Agnes Scott, my friend Anne Mireille would ask me if I was drinking brown crayons because of the residue Suisse Mocha leaves behind in the cup. By the end of fall quarter, she too was enjoying “brown crayons” because the stuff is just that good, no matter how it looks.
Away from home, I enjoy Starbucks’ Raspberry Vanilla Mocha. No, that isn’t on the menu — it’s a special order, and well worth the trouble (two pumps of each syrup added to the regular mocha for the Grande size). That’s even more calorie-laden than the regular Suisse Mocha, though, so it’s a very special treat.
1 I do wish the company would give me more choices there, but they don’t.
Tags: coffee, mornings, Starbucks, Suisse Mocha
Road Trip Essentials
Posted by Cyn | Filed under NaBloPoMo
Plinky said, “List your must-haves for a successful road trip.”
Assuming you’ve already got a reliable vehicle, the most important thing is good company — someone who understands that the journey is at least as important as the destination, someone who can happily follow the surprises that come up on a real road trip.
Next is good music. Without that, you are sunk. One of the great things about good company is that you can make your own good music in a pinch, and that’s how we used to do it before we had CDs and MP3 players with which to carry many GBs of tunes around.
Next, a cooler filled with drinks. You get thirsty in the car, and its cheaper and more convenient to just take your own water bottles and sodas along. Taking healthy snacks with you is advisable, too. You can skip this step in a pinch, but it’s more expensive to travel without them.
Finally, a couple of changes of clothes and your toothbrush. Pack lightly, because you don’t go on road trips to look glamorous. You go on them to have fun, period.
Tags: road trips, travel
